Counsel #7 — False Gospel

Picture: Counsel #7 — False GospelCI 48.1

When the gospel is interpreted racially and culturally to protect the oppressor’s financial interests and power status (for example, Christians using Scripture to defend slavery in the 18^th and 19^th centuries or many municipal housing practices today), the gospel is corrupted.^{[49]https://adventistreview.org/seventh-day-adventist-pioneers-and-their-protest-against-systemic-racism/} It becomes the opposite. John even implicated racism with the spirit of the anti-Christ (1 John 4:20) and with the devil himself (1 John 3:10).CI 48.2

“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.’” Mark 7:6, 7 NKJVCI 48.3

“[God’s] anger burns against this nation and especially against the religious bodies that have sanctioned this terrible traffic and have themselves engaged in it. Such injustice, such oppression, such sufferings, are looked upon with heartless indifference by many professed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. And many of them can themselves inflict, with hateful satisfaction, all this indescribable agony; and yet they dare to worship God. It is a solemn mockery; Satan exults over it and reproaches Jesus and His angels with such inconsistency saying with hellish triumph, ’Such are Christ’s followers!’” Ellen White in Early Writings, p. 275CI 48.4

Reflect: In what ways could we be in danger of interpreting the gospel racially and culturally today?CI 48.5